Improvement in apparatus for concentrating and amalgamating gold



J. PATTERSON. Apparatus for Concentrating and Amalgama-t ing Gold, 8170.

N. PETERS, PHDTO-LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON, D. c.

JOHN PATTERSON, OF INVERNESS TERRACE, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING AND AMALGAMATING GOLD, 84c.

Specification formingpnrt of Letters Patent No. 22 June 30 To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN PATTERSON, of Inverness Terrace, in the countyof Middlesex, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in theMeans of and Apparatus for Concentrating and Amalgamating Gold and otherMetals and Metalliferons Substances, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of ore washers or concentrators inwhich an endless moving blanket is independently shaken, by heaters orother means, while in motion to free the metal from its surface 5 andthe invention consists in the combination of a water-cistern, an endlessmoving web or blanket, heaters to knock oil the stuff from the web intothe cistern and to agitate the water therein, and amalgamated platesrevolving in, the water in said cistern to catch whatever metal may fallin the cistern, as hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section on the line AB. Fig. 2 is a plan.Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line C D. Fig. 4: is alongitudinal section of the extension of cistern; Figs. 5 and 6, detailsof the angular beater-s; Fig. 7, details of the revolving amalgamators,each consisting of one or more amalgamated copper plates.

a is the mortar,from which the stamped pulp issues. I) is the blanket,formed into an endless web. a is the table or strake on which theendless web is supported. (I is a cistern under the table or strake,containing water and for the concentrated stuit'. e and e are rollers,over which the blanket passes. Roller 6 also serves as atightening-roller, by means whereof the endless web is kept at a propertension, being controlled by the springs or weights through thebell-cranked levers, as shown. f f f f are supporting-rollers for theendless web Z), to keep it in position while being washed in the waterby means of the angular boaters. g g g are revolving washing rollers orboaters, which, being angular, impart, when in motion, a quicksuccession of taps or blows to the back of the endless web while atwork, and so bring 1,350, dated November 4, 1879; application tiled itssurfacecontaining the concentrated stuff, by violent dashes, into andfrom the water, whereby the stuff is completely washed from the fibersor hairs of the endless webiand de posited in the cistern.

h, h, and k are the amalgamated copper plates, immersed in the cisternsd and j, and caused to rotate so as to bring their amalgamated surfacesinto intimate contact with the gold, silver, or other metals which mayhave escaped the amalgamated plates sometimes enr ployed inside themortar, and also the amalgamated plates sometimes placed on the tablesoutside the mortar, and over which the pulp and slime have passed ontheir way to the concentrator j is an extension of the cistern (1,wherein are placed revolving amalgamators. In this part the cistern maybe divided into two or more compartments by partitions, so as to enablethe concentrated stuff introduced into them 9on1 the concentrator to beoperated upon by the rotating amalgamated plates is for any length oftime found necessary to completely take hold of the remaining metalcontained therein.

The mode of operation is as follows: When it is deemed necessary to washthe endless web, the driving-strap is moved onto the fast pulley I,which, by its connection through the bevelwheels m m m puts in motionthe washingbeaters g g 1 which violently slap the back of the endlessweb, causing it to dip into the water, as shown, while thecarrying-rollers ff f f keep itin proper position to receive the impactfrom the washing-rollers, so as thoroughly to remove the concentratedstuff from the endless web to the cistern of the concentrator.Simultaneously with this movement of the washing-rollers, and by meansof the worm wheel and worm 0, the rollers e e, carrying the endless web,cause it to move over the table or strake 0 until the portion of theendless web which has been washed is returned to the top of the table.Then, by withdrawing a clutch or clutch-box, or other shipper that maybe attached to the worm 0, the endless web ceases to move, while thewashing-heaters continue the washing of that part of the endless webimmediately over the cistern until the attendant stops them by returningthe driving-strap to its loose pulley.

lhe endless web may be washed without stopping the stamps.

The revolving amalgamated plates 71, 71, and in may be driven by a strapfrom any convenient turning-shaft and the speed regulated at will.

\Vhen it is necessary to remove the collected amalgam, the amalgamatorsare withdrawn through openings in the side of the cistern, andafterward, when they are returned to their places, the openings areclosed by glands of substantially the same construction as those shownapplied to the heaters in Fig. 5.

This apparatus is equally applicable to the treatment of pulp comingfrom the batteries and to the treatment of the tailings coming from thetables or strakes.

The endless web may be made of skins or any textile materials.

I prefer the angular washing rollers or beaters, as being simple andeflieient; but Ido not confine myself to any particular form of washin groller or beater.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- In anapparatus for concentrating and amalgamating metals, the combination ofa watercistern and an endless moving web, heaters to knock off the stufffrom the web into the cistern and agitate the water therein, andamalgamated plates revolving in the water in said cistern to catchwhatever metal may fall in it, substantially as specified.

Witnesses: JOHN PAT'lTEl-l-SON.

PHILIP M. JUs'rIoE, ALLEN I. J ONES.

